Balancing toy



C. MATHIEU.

BALANCING TOY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- so 1920.

1,384,476. Patented July 12,1921.

5 m4; car/ea ir iri oEAnLEs MATHIEU,

BALANCING TOY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MATHIEU,

a subject of the King of Italy, residing at afi'ord amusement to children and at the same time be inexpensive and easily manufactured. A further object of the invention is to provide a toy to simulate a tightrope walker, even to the extent of the natural use of the arms to maintain equilibrium.

To carry out my invention I resort to novel means to actuate the arms to operate them in such manner as to convey the idea that they are being used to maintain balance.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will finally hereinafter claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 illustrates my invention in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view, the skirt beingshown in section and the weight-carrying-rod broken off Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view illustrating a portion of the body and a portion of one of the legs;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on lme 5-5 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the weight-carrying-rod or support'for the figure.

As herein illustrated, my invention is made upof a figure 7 to represent (for instance) a tight-rope walker, said figure consisting of a body portion 8 having legs 9 and 10 and arm members 11 and 12, preferably made in one piece, said figure being also provided with a short .Skllt 13. In combination with the figure I provide a grooved wheel 14 connected to the body by a supporting rod 15, the upper end of whlch is formed into a T head 16 to engage openings 17 and 18 in the leg-members 9 and 10,

respectively. It will be seen that the body I Specification of Letters Patent.

PATENT F A or vnw Yam, N. i; i

c c PatentedgJuly 12,1921. Application filed September 30, 1920. Serial No. 413,955. r I 1 8 is made up of twomembers or -sheets19 and 20 and that the support 15, atits upper portion, 1s held between said sheets or mems bers. The head 16 is formed to providev recessed portions 21 in eacharm l6 thereof to receive the longitudinal edges 22 of the slots17' and 180i theleg-members 9 and 10. The outer end of arms 16 of the head 23, to engage an opening 24 formed in the By means of the head just menbody 8. tioned the support 15 is held in position and the legs 9 and 10 slidably connected to the body member 7. The body member is further provided with a transversely disposed member 25 shaped to form the arms 11 and 12.

Intermediate its ends the member 25 is provided with notches 26 and 27, said notched portions being engaged by the body member 7. To connect the body member and arm member I provide the body member with an opening 28 through which member 25 is slipped until the notches 26 and 27 engage same. The member 25 is loosely mounted in slot 28 and is free to move or swing in a vertical plane when acted upon by legs 9 and 10.

To connect the grooved wheel 14 and the support 15, I provide support 15 with a loop or eye 29 which is engaged by axle tained in a vertical position by the weight 33. The grooved wheel 33 will of course engage the cord (see Fig. 2). During the movement'of the toy along the cord the legs 9 and 10 will be raised'and lowered alternately. and consequently the arms 11 and 12 will be moved upwardly and down-,

wardly, for the reason that the upper end of each leg-member will strike its adjacent arm-member, thereby raising said arm-' member (as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2) alternately. T e arm-members 11 and 12 when in motion will have the appearance of being used for balancing purposes, there -l.=-'Ina 'balancing*toy,a body member, a

pair of 'alined connected arms 1 movably mounted on the body member and normally extending outwardly therefrom, leg s alsoslidably connected to said bodyniemberfthe 'upper end of each leg alternately striking said arms, and a roller connected to thebody member and arranged to, move the leg mem bers. v

2. In a balancing toy, a body member, a

one-piece" member extending transversely of the body member and loosely mounted thereonand representing arms, leg members slidably connected to, the body member and movable in a vertical plane, the upperends described my invention, What of the leg members alternately striking the transversely disposed arm member to Wave its" arms," and means connecting said leg members to aroller to impart to the leg membersa vertical movement, the roller being connected to the body member.

3; Ina balancing toy, a body member hav ing ajslot, a one-piece arm member having recesses at opposite edges and intermediate the ends thereof, that portion ofthe body member adjacent the slot therein being located in said recesses, and vertically movable legs carried by the body member,'the. upper ends of the legs alternately striking the movable arm-members.

Signed at N ew York city, N; Y., this QStli- -r day of September, 1920.

o 1 CHARLES WVitnessesi MAURICE BLooK, EDWARD A. JARVIS.

MATni'E U; 

